They say a week is a long time in politics, but it’s also a long time for a person whose job is on the line or whose business is on the brink of collapse.

There’s been much debate surrounding last week’s Budget announcement and for good reason – there’s so much at stake. With unemployment spiking in Central Otago and Wanaka and the country’s economy taking a hammering, every decision made now has massive implications.

The focus on jobs, training, and apprenticeships was good. I was also happy to see an emphasis on pest control for things such as wallabies and wilding pines.

However, there was a missed opportunity in this Budget for investment in water storage projects that bring environmental gains and enhanced productivity – something we desperately need now that the Government has bequeathed the country $140 billion debt. There’s $20 billion that has yet to be allocated and I will push hard for water projects in this region to see some of that money.

When it comes to tourism, I had been pushing for an industry specific package and while there is now some funding in place, there was little detail for people to work with. We know there will be a nationwide marketing campaign but that alone isn’t going to provide any certainty for businesses in this area.

As people in Central Otago and Wanaka know all too well, it’s not just tourism operators who are impacted by border restrictions. Shops and services have been built around the workforce that caters to overseas tourists and further job losses will cause more pain for local communities.

There are also questions over the Government’s ability to execute a plan to create environment and housing jobs and deliver infrastructure projects that stimulate the economy. Only time will tell if they can make good on their promise but in the meantime they need to provide a plan to support their spending.

I am confident that Central Otago and Wanaka will bounce back in time. People in this part of the country are resilient and adaptable but they need to know what they are adapting to. We need to see detail of an economic recovery plan and we need to see it now.